The disclosure relates to a wearable device with the ability to induce a force via actuation and/or articulation of a biological or artificial joint to provide haptic feedback.
In many virtual reality (VR) or augmented reality (AR) applications it is necessary to provide the user with a degree of haptic feedback that simulates the sense of touch by mechanically or electronically applying forces or motions to the user. This feedback can be used to assist in the creation, and/or manipulation of virtual or real objects remotely. VR systems consist, generally, of three components, displays, speakers, and haptic feedback. While electronic (e.g., visual) displays have been known for some time, VR applications require haptic feedback to fully immerse the user in their virtual world so that they may more effectively interact in the environment. Through the use of haptic feedback, a sense of touch can be added to previously visual-only solutions.
In fact, haptic interfaces may be useful in applications as diverse as remote surgery, medical training, robotics, VR gaming, and actuation by providing a sense of touch, pressure, and position to reproduce the strength, delicacy, and complexity of natural human movement. Moreover, these haptic actuators are not just limited to use as input devices, but can be also be used by designers to provide a high-degree-of-freedom output to the user. These haptic actuators can be used to provide feedback relating to the virtual surface they encounter, thereby allowing for faster and more natural workflow than that afforded by present methods.
Research into simulating the sensation of touch has been done to simulate different kinds of taction through various means, such as vibrations. These types of devices have been implemented in personal computers, game controllers, and mobile devices. Unfortunately, present devices are limited in that they do not allow for the accurate discrimination between various shapes, textures, and resiliencies.